COME BACK, OH BANISHED KINGDOM

 

COME BACK, OH BANISHED KINGDOM

Come back, oh banished kingdom

I said to my fern breathed soul

To the ripples in the water

To their netting of gold

I will wipe the sleep from my eyes

And build a language of sighs

And flee as the clouds have fled

All that has been said

To death

By the census takers.

All you movers and shakers

Wielding a gnat’s worth of power

I will not let you snatch from me

One golden hour

Let business grind to a halt

Let the lame suddenly walk

In the gardens predestined for them

And sit at cafes of their own choosing

Munching their liverwurst sandwiches from home

With a thick slice of onion

Slathered with picnic mustard

And followed by cherry custard.

And Vernor’s Ginger Ale.

mary angela douglas 12 april 2024